June 20, 2007 - Dont' Let This Happen To You - Dave Oliver started smoking cigarettes when he was 13 and ended up with a 60-a-day habit - until he got a shock which changed his life forever. The retired 58-year-old, of Dines Green, Worcester, said: "I smoked my last cigarette when I was ringing the ambulance to say I've got chest pains. "The pain was all across my chest, down my arms and up into my neck. "It was a heart attack." His cracked-open chest bears the scars of the quadruple heart bypass needed to repair the damage done to his smoke-ravaged arteries. Mr Oliver said he stopped cold turkey' and did not use any nicotine replacement products to quit his unhealthy habit. (Kate Yates, I Smoked My Last Cigarette as I Called For an Ambulance, Worcester News) With smokeless spitless tobacco like SNUS you suck on the bag meanwhile the poisonous juices are slowly leaking into your gastrointestinal tract eventually causing pancreatic cancer - the most painful and dreadful of all cancers - most everyone that gets it dies. (TobaccoWatch.org)

October 19, 2007 - Glamour Magazine Continues to Accept Cigarette Ads, also Vogue Magazine - November 2007 - center fold ad Camel No. 9, note new 1st page.. When introduced Wall Street analysts praise the introduction of Camel No. 9, in regular and menthol flavors, as a further step by the R. J. Reynolds, a unit of Reynolds American, toward a new marketing strategy. The goal is to refocus on the biggest, most popular — and most profitable — brands, which include Kool as well as Camel. But critics decry the new Camel as yet another effort to single out women for smoking pitches, a tactic they trace back to the 1920s when American Tobacco urged, “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet” to promote Lucky Strike cigarettes. ( A New Camel Brand is Dressed to the Nines, Stuart Elliott, The New York Times, 2/15/2007) Let's not forget that in 1924, Philip

October 18, 2007 - Altria - NOT in Any Hurry to Expand Marlboro SNUS Distribution.A. Altria's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Dinny Devitre when asked how long do you think you'll need with the Snus test in Dallas before you will have enough data points to make a decision whether to roll this out nationwide or not? I think it went into test market retail on August 8th (2007). And I really can't give you a time. I think we will just have to study this very carefully. It's a very, very important initiative and I am not in a position to give you either time or whether this is going to be a step-by-step extension of the test market. ( Altria Group Inc. (MO) Q3 2007 Earnings Call October 17, 2007 9:00 am ET) See related news briefs: July 6, 2007 and July 5, 2007. The test marketing of Taboka Tobaccopaks was one-year but Marlboro SNUS is a totally different brand. Most likely they're concerned that Marlboro SNUS won't fit the Marlboro mold. ( Retail market share for Marlboro cigarettes rose 0.5 points to a record 41.1%, compared with that of the third quarter of last year.) In July 2006 Philip Morris USA introduced Taboka, a smoke-free, spit-free tobacco pouch product, into test market in the Indianapolis area. According to PM they learned a lot from the Taboka test market and are applying those learnings to the Marlboro Snus test market. In a survey of retailers in the Indianapolis Area by analyst Christopher Growe of A.G. Edwards & Sons, it was found that the test for Taboka was going poorly and that retailers said sales were "soft with little need to restock inventory." A USA Today visit to a dozen convenience, tobacco and Wal-Mart stores in Indianapolis found Taboka widely available, often in dispensers displayed near Marlboro cigarettes and priced at $1.20 to $3.80 per pack. Retailers say consumers have shown little interest. Pat Bowman at The Tobacco Shop says, "I haven't sold any at all." He says even people who had coupons for free samples didn't want Taboka once they knew what it was. It looks like widespread use of SNUS will fail because it's culture-bound and highly resistant to migration. The Swedes first got hooked on tucking tobacco under their top lips in the 18th century. It is so much part of the national culture that the Swedish government negotiated an exemption from the prohibition of SNUS when it joined the EU. SNUS is spitless only if the pouch is kept in the same location throughout the sucking process any movement will cause more saliva secretion increasing the urge to spit (TobaccoWatch.org) - see related News Brief: July 15, 2007

October 18, 2007 - Bush's SCHIP veto stands - The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly failed (273 in favor and 156 against, the vote was just 13 votes k) yesterday to override President Bush’s veto of H.R. 976, the bill passed by Congress to reauthorize and expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP). The legislation would have authorized an increase in federal tobacco taxes—including a 61-cents-per-pack cigarette tax hike to $1 per pack from the current 39 cents, as well as other tobacco tax increases—to pay for the expansion. The House vote was just 13 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto - to view roll call for the vote.Click on Images to enlarge.. Even before the vote, Congress passed and the president signed legislation to continue government operations, that included a short extension of the SCHIP bill at its current funding levels with no tax increases until mid-November. Congress will likely consider a revised version of the SCHIP bill soon in order to keep the program running after the temporary extension expires. (CSP (Convenience Store/Petroleum) Daily News, 10/19/2007) See related news briefs: October 3, 2007September 27, 2007September 21, 2007September 19, 2007July 28, 2007July 18, 2007 and July 9, 2007

October 17, 2007 - Country to Eliminate Smoking - The South Pacific nation of Niue, population about 1,500, could become the first country in the world to eliminate smoking by paying its 200 smokers to quit the habit, its premier said Monday (10/15/07). Premier Vivian Young said it would be cheaper to pay all smokers up to NZ$2,000 (US$1,543; euro1,085) each to stop smoking than to continue paying their health care costs. "Of course I am serious. If your health bill is climbing beyond NZ$200,000 (US$154,000; euro108,000), up to NZ$1 million (US$771,000; euro542,000), per year then it is preferable to pay (smokers to quit)," he told reporters at the South Pacific Forum meeting in Tonga. (Niue is a free association with New Zealand - diplomatic relations are conducted by New Zealand.) (South Pacific's Niue may pay smokers to quit, The China Post, October 16, 2007) Other tobacco control groups are most likely using monetary incentives to convince youngsters not to use tobacco. We must convince youngsters that with a little bit of effort every kid can succeed without the use of tobacco.Click on Image to enlarge.. (TobaccoWatch.org)

October 17, 2007 - UST, Inc. Don't view SNUS as something that has a major impact on our core business. Q2 2007 Earnings Call (July 26, 2007 9:00 am ET) - Comments pertaining to SNUS - Dan Butler (Daniel W. Butler has been the President of U S Smokeless Tobacco Company, a subsidiary of UST Inc., since November 3, 2005), Snus in our view really means discrete spit-free pouches and we've been testing that concept with Rebel and Skoal Dry and other things for a number of years. So we clearly have the technology and we've been gathering a lot of learning about this for some time. I think we and our competitors might think are all probably trying to optimize the product bundle and get that right and get the positioning right. We continue to learn from our test markets both in Denver with Rebel and our other two markets with Skoal Dry and we will make adjustments. We do think that there is a strong concept here.I think it's going to take some time, some education, awareness building and I expect it to be a slow build. At this point I would say none of those products are in the marketplace are off to a rapid vapid start. I believe it is going to be a long slow build but we are committed to the concept we think there's something there.The other thing I would say about snus is I don't view that at all as something that has a major impact on our core business. It is not traditional round can moist smokeless tobacco in all of the test markets. Ours and competitors, we have seen no impact on our core business and in fact have seen category growth accelerate, those are products that are really designed for and positioned to adult smokers that appears to be the source of volume. And I think with us and others making investments in building the awareness and the trial for these things will be good for the overall category. Murray Kessler, President and CEO of UST, the holding company for U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company)- Yes and I would just add to that, there's nothing we have seen from those competitive test markets that would dictate a change in our strategy. We will make the decisions that are right for our shareholders based on our ability to create value and launch winning products, that's always our model.

October 16, 2007 - Statin Use Improves Survival in COPD Patients.. COPD is an umbrella term for a range of progressive chronic lung diseases, such as emphysema and bronchitis, which block the airways and restrict oxygen flow around the body. COPD is mainly caused by tobacco smoking (90%), it's the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S.A. and is a progressive and irreversible with no cure. Previous reports have shown an elevated risk of ischemic heart disease in COPD patients and since statins are known to reduce ischemic heart disease morbidity and mortality, these agents may be of particular benefit for COPD patients. Statins Reduce COPD Mortality Statin therapy improves survival following an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The finding emerged from a retrospective study of 854 patients (mean age, 70.8 years) who had a COPD exacerbation and who were followed for a mean of 1.9 years. A total of 333 patients died during follow-up. The crude mortality rate per 1000 patient-years was 110 in statin users and 191 in those not using a statin. The use of a statin reduced risk of death by 43%. Treatment with inhaled corticosteroids further increased the survival benefit associated with statin use (Soyseth V, et al. Statin use is associated with reduced mortality in COPD. Eur Respir J. 2007; 29:279-284). Statins (atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), avastatin (Pravachol), mvastatin (Zocor), rosuvastatin (Crestor)) have proven to be very effective in reducing cholesterol and in reducing the risk of heart attack and death. For this reason, and because they are generally well tolerated, they have become some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. Click on image to enlarge..from "Take Charge of Your Health," http://mercola.com) - Incomplete...

October 15, 2007 - Youth exposed to smokeless tobacco ads despite settlement… A 1998 settlement designed to limit the marketing of smokeless tobacco to youth hasn’t been effective, according to a new University of Georgia (GA) study by Dean Krugman, professor in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication published in the early online edition of the American Journal of Public Health. When the major cigarette producers signed the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) a similar agreement known as the Smokeless Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (STMSA) was signed by the attorneys general and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company, the largest smokeless tobacco manufacturer. To gauge advertising exposure and whether smokeless tobacco companies have complied with the STMSA, Krugman and his colleagues analyzed data on readership and advertising in popular magazines over a 10-year period. At both the beginning and the end of the study period, roughly two-thirds of youth were exposed to smokeless tobacco advertising in magazines (66 and 64 percent, respectively). The study found that smokeless tobacco advertising in magazines actually increased in the first year after the STMSA went into effect, reaching 83 percent of adolescents. Exposure dropped sharply to 57 percent in 2000, but rates steadily increased in later years. Krugman is especially concerned about the test marketing of Marlboro and Camel branded smokeless products, which he said will have an instant appeal to youth. “They’re testing products with brand names that have been overwhelmingly successful with young people,” Krugman said. “The power of those brands will create a built-in appeal for their smokeless products.” (GA study: Youth exposed to smokeless tobacco ads despite settlement by: Sam Fahmy) In the U.S.A, Marlboro is by far the most popular cigarette among youth smokers, with nearly half the youth market, and Camel is one of the three most popular cigarette brands among youth. These brands are sure to tempt children to try these new smokeless products. (Philip Morris’ Launch of Smokeless Marlboro Product Shows Need For Congress To Grant FDA Authority Over Tobacco,Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids) Read more...

October 15, 2007 - Ireland to ban tobacco displays.. Irish shops are to be banned from displaying cigarettes and other tobacco products. Health minister, Mary Harney, said also that in-store advertising of tobacco products would be banned and that tighter controls would be placed on the location and operation of cigarette vending machines. ( Ban on shop tobacco displays proposed by Charlie Taylor, October 5, 2007) Belinda Hughes, Tobacco Control Advisor for the Cancer Society of New Zealand, stated, “Make no mistake, cigarette displays are determined, planned and strategic marketing tools. And our latest research proves this!” The research shows that nearly half of New Zealand smokers agree that cigarette displays at the checkout make it harder for smokers to quit saying the displays trigger impulse buying. Ms Hughes is also concerned about the impact the retail displays have on children. “The prominent displays of tobacco products as ‘normal’ consumer items can distort young peoples’ perceptions of the prevalence (and therein social acceptability) of smoking. We need to do everything in our power to support smokers to successfully break the addiction. Getting cigarettes out of sight is a good first step.” ( Tobacco Displays Make It Harder to Quit, October 11, 2007) In the U.S.A. it seems like the tobacco companies are in control inside and outside of Convenience Stores. At the counter,, at the entrance and at the gas pump.Not to be left out, Philip Morris has cards at the door as the customer can take as they walk out of the store. Reynolds even stations a representative at the store that offers a free pack of say Camels if a customer buys another product. All Tobacco products belong under the counter - with no advertising allowed - let's get it done - related news brief:June 6, 2007. Click on Image t Enlarge.. (TobaccoWatch.org)